Earlier this month, MasterCard Priceless Causes teamed up with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) to present “The Priceless Table at Times Square,” a limited time, participatory event for charity. From July 16th through August 2nd, MasterCard cardholders were able to reserve a seat at The Priceless Table, a pop-up restaurant overlooking New York City’s iconic Times Square. At $50 a pop, tickets were a bit steep for the five-course meal prepared by chef Marcus Samuelsson, but all proceeds go towards SU2C.
According to Forbes contributor Elaine Schattner, the elevated, communal table and open air aesthetic of MasterCard’s pop-up restaurant was designed to promote visibility for the company’s fundraising relationship with SU2C. “Since its founding in 2008, SU2C, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, has emerged as one of the largest and most innovative anti-cancer programs,” explains Schattner of the powerful organization, which she says owes a lots of its success to its marketing team.
SU2C has captured the attention of prominent philanthropists and celebrities from around the world for its innovative approach to funding cancer research initiatives. “SU2C’s unique funding model, developed with the help of prominent cancer researchers, encourages collaboration and innovation through two new types of scientific grant,” explains the organization of how its approach differs from that of other similar initiatives. According to SU2C’s mission statement, “SU2C’s mission is to raise funds to accelerate and pace of groundbreaking translational research that can get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.” The organization also explains how “By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C has set out to generate awareness, educate the public on cancer prevention and help more people diagnosed with cancer become long-term survivors.”
MasterCard hasn’t yet announced how much funding it was able to provide to SU2C, but seats did sell out completely for The Priceless Table at Times Square, which indicates an overwhelming public response. Learn more about the event and others like it by visiting www.causes.priceless.com.